They had the whole world in their hands.
Ridge kids performed songs and dances from around the globe for their doting families at the Ridge Creative Center’s Aug. 24 Multicultural Festival, at Redeemer St. John’s Lutheran Church, on 83rd Street between Seventh and 10th avenues. The executive director of the Creative Center said the festival offered an opportunity for the cute kids to have some fun while creating bridges between cultures.
“Sometimes we’re talking too much about our differences and not enough about what’s alike,” said Victoria Hofmo. “What we can definitely share and what doesn’t cause any problems is dance, music, and food — that’s always a uniter that bridges people.”
Nine little Ridgites between the ages of 4 and 7 took turns performing a traditional Filipino stick dance, a Mexican hat dance, Salsa, among others. The whole group also belted out a few songs, including “Frère Jacques,” a French nursery rhyme, and “That’s Amore,” the classic Italian love song. And the tykes also celebrated global cultures with food, snacking on French cheese, Chinese fried noodles, Filipino jackfruit, and chips with guacamole and tortillas.
Hofmo said that she was glad to teach the kids about different traditions around the world because doing so brings people together.
“It’s important for them to learn [about different cultures],” she said. “I think those are the kinds of things that connect us.”
